THE  PEOPLE'S 

PRAYERS 

AS  VOICED  BYA  LAYMAN 

GEORGE  W.  COLEMAN 


OF 

IA 

SAN  DIEGO 


presented  to  the 

LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  •  SAN  DIKGO 

by 
FRIENDS  OF  THE  LIHRARY 


MR.   JOHN  C.   ROSE 


donor 


The  People's  Prayers 


The 
People's  Prayers 


VOICED   BY  A  LAYMAN 

Written  by 

George  W.  Coleman 

For  His  Own  Use  as  Chairman 

of  the  Ford  Hall  Sunday  Evening 

Meetings  in  Boston 


PHILADELPHIA 

THE  GRIFFITH  &  ROWLAND  PRESS 

BOSTON  CHICAGO          ST.  LOUIS 

TORONTO.  CAN. 


Copyright  1914  by 
GEORGE  W.  COLEMAN 


Published  December,  1914 


MY  BEST  WISH 

VrHEN  we  pray  together,  unbosoming  ourselves 
before  a  common  Father,  we  are  in  the  Vestibule  of 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Then  comes  out  the  best 
there  is  in  us.  If  the  prayers  of  the  people  could  be 
adequately  voiced,  the  millennium  would  not  be  far 
away.  May  this  little  collection  of  prayers  of  the 
people,  a  cross-section  of  real  life,  give  you  afresh 
hint  of  the  exquisite  joys  that  come  from  the  highest 
fellowship  with  all  kinds  of  people.  Such  fellow- 
ship is  my  best  wish  for  you  in  the  days  and  months 
that  are  bearing  down  upon  us  just  now. 


With  friendly  greetings, 


December  25,  1914 


THESE  prayers  voice  the  best  spirit  of  Ford 
Hall.  They  were  written  by  the  man  who 
knows  that  remarkable  assembly  best;  who 
has  fed  its  intellectual  hunger,  felt  its  pulse, 
smiled  with  its  laughter,  checked  its  pas- 
sions— and  taught  it  to  pray.  Writing  with 
this  audience  directly  before  his  mind,  he 
has  naturally  said  what  he  knew  would  have 
the  unreserved  assent  of  his  friends. 

But  the  Ford  Hall  audience  is  a  sign  of 
the  times,  a  social  prophecy,  a  guide-post  to 
the  coming  democracy.  It  is  not  a  chance 
crowd  any  longer;  it  is  a  growth  and  an 
organism.  The  possibility  for  its  existence 
was  created  by  a  great  and  wise  busi- 
ness man,  who  had  thoughts  of  peace  and 
love  toward  the  working  people,  and  pro- 


vided  a  place  where  they  and  God  might 
meet.  The  possibility  was  turned  into  a 
reality  by  another  business  man,  who,  under 
the  tuition  of  Jesus,  had  come  to  believe  in 
the  people  in  whom  Jesus  believed.  He  be- 
came a  real  religious  leader  to  the  Ford 
Hall  people;  he  consolidated  them  and 
helped  them  to  find  themselves  and  God. 

At  first  there  did  not  seem  to  be  much 
religion  in  those  meetings.  Perhaps  God 
was  there,  even  though  his  name  was  not 
often  mentioned.  But  after  a  time  George 
Coleman  ventured  to  lead  them  in  prayer. 
They  might  have  resented  it  at  first.  Now 
they  tolerated  it.  Formerly  they  might  have 
regarded  it  as  an  antique  and  useless  cus- 
tom forced  on  them  by  outsiders ;  now  they 
slowly  responded  to  it  as  the  natural  expres- 
sion of  their  common  thought  and  feeling. 

Ford  Hall  has  been  the  forerunner  of 
other  similar  forums.  They  would  prob- 
ably have  sprung  up  anyway,  but  the  sue- 


cess  of  Ford  Hall  has  stimulated  them, 
and  they  are  utilizing  its  experience.  This 
type  of  public  meeting  stands  for  a  new 
democratizing  of  religion,  like  the  prayer- 
meeting  and  the  Sunday-school  when  they 
first  became  popular.  Here  the  people  have 
a  chance  to  get  a  free  and  sincere  discus- 
sion of  their  own  social  and  moral  ques- 
tions. The  problem  for  the  religious  men 
who  are  organizing  these  forums  is  how  to 
ennoble  these  discussions  by  the  spirit  of 
religion.  They  need  a  very  pure  type  of 
religion  for  that  purpose,  something  prac- 
tical, ethical,  undenominational,  non-eccle- 
siastic, and  yet  devout. 

The  prayers  in  this  little  book  will  tell  a 
careful  reader  a  great  deal  about  the  re- 
ligious ideals  and  points  of  view  to  which  a 
modern  audience  of  non-churchgoers  will 
respond.  They  are  rich  in  thought,  simple, 
transparent,  keen,  and  to  the  point.  They 
were  not  written  by  a  careless  or  untaught 


hand.    They  show  the  touch  of  a  literary 
craftsman  and  a  born  writer. 

Some  prayers,  in  their  emotions,  their 
appeals,  and  their  phraseology,  are  an  echo 
of  the  past.  This  little  collection,  perhaps, 
gives  us  a  foretaste  of  the  religion  which 
will  comfort  and  hearten  our  children  when 
they  bear  the  burden  of  life. 

WALTER  RAUSCIIENBUSCH. 


THE  author  never  intended  that  these 
prayers  should  be  published.  They  were 
written  one  at  a  time  in  the  midst  of 
crowded  hours  in  response  to  an  immediate 
need.  Always  did  he  have  deeply  in  mind 
the  common  aspirations  of  his  conglomerate 
audience — the  orthodox  and  unorthodox 
among  Jews,  Catholics,  and  Protestants, 
with  a  large  preponderance  of  unbelievers 
of  every  stripe  and  shade. 

The  introduction  of  the  prayer  into  our 
meetings,  strenuously  counseled  against  by 
some  of  the  author's  dearest  and  most 
spiritual-minded  friends  who  did  not  believe 
the  audience  would  accept  it,  has  been  a 
great  blessing  to  us.  No  one  has  ever  seri- 
ously objected,  many  have  expressed  great 
satisfaction,  and  occasionally  the  apprecia- 


tion  is  so  marked  that  it  expresses  itself  in 
general  applause,  no  other  method  of  saying 
Amen  being  known  to  that  audience.  It  has 
been  a  distinct  advantage  to  find  that  a  body 
of  people  with  little  or  nothing  in  common 
religiously  could  pray  together  in  real  ear- 
nestness without  introducing  any  divisive 
note. 

The  request  came  from  the  audience  itself 
that  the  prayers  be  put  in  some  permanent 
form  in  order  that  many  might  possess 
themselves  of  a  copy  for  presentation  to 
friends.  It  was  also  felt  that  these  prayers, 
together  with  the  hymns  which  have  been 
found  most  usable  at  the  Ford  Hall  Sunday 
Evening  Meetings  in  Boston,  might  be  help- 
ful to  other  open  forums,  similar  to  ours, 
which  had  not  yet  fallen  upon  any  prac- 
ticable method  of  introducing  the  devotional 
note  into  the  meeting. 

As  a  rule,  each  of  these  prayers  had  a 
definite  relation  to  the  subject  under  discus- 


sion  for  the  evening  it  was  used,  and  was 
never  employed  a  second  time.  This  col- 
lection, with  a  few  exceptions,  includes  only 
those  which  might  appeal  to  any  other  con- 
gregation of  a  similar  character. 

The  author  is  encouraged  to  believe  that 
this  little  book  will  at  least  do  no  harm  in 
the  world,  for  a  very  frank  auditor  was 
heard  to  remark,  directly  after  the  prayer 
one  night,  "  Why,  them  prayers  wouldn't 
hurt  nobody  nohow."  And  judging  from 
what  he  has  felt  of  the  response  from  liv- 
ing souls  to  the  blessing  these  prayers  have 
brought  the  people,  he  sends  them  out 
gladly,  confidently,  and  thankfully. 

GEORGE  W.  COLEMAN. 

BOSTON,  MASS.,  December  i,  1914. 


Prayers  of  the  People 


tfrtsunre 


E  make  confession,  O  God,  of 
the  unbrotherly  divisions  among 
religious  people.  We  have  oft- 
times  allowed  our  supreme  con- 
cern for  the  welfare  of  the  human  soul  to 
carry  us  into  great  bitterness  toward  our  fel- 
low men.  While  we  pray  for  strength  to 
live  the  truth  as  we  see  it,  we  beseech  thee 
to  make  us  kindly  and  considerate  toward 
those  with  whom  we  differ.  Our  economic 
needs  have  driven  us  into  fellowship  in  all 
our  daily  walks.  By  thy  divine  grace  show 
us  how  these  same  differences  may  be  united 
in  aspirations  common  to  all  our  hearts, 
and  how  these  antagonisms  may  be  dis- 
sipated in  deeds  that  will  bring  us  together 
in  bonds  of  spiritual  fellowship.  Amen. 


[Page    1  ] 


MIGHTY  God,  our  Father,  we 
are  thankfully  glad  that  thou 
hast  raised  up  for  us  prophets 
and  seers  in  this  day  and  genera- 
tion. Help  us  that  they  may  not  become 
martyrs  through  our  indifference,  intoler- 
ance, or  hostility.  Open  our  eyes,  give  us 
understanding,  we  pray,  that  the  light  of 
truth  may  do  its  great  work  in  these  vital 
days  in  which  we  are  living.  Help  us  to 
know  and  recognize  thy  prophets  by  the 
fruits  of  their  lives,  and  give  us  the  courage 
and  the  steadfastness  to  hold  up  their  hands. 
Amen. 


3] 


thee,  our  common  Father,  we 
[lift  up  our  hearts  in  gratitude 
for  the  blessings  of  the  year, 
[realizing  that  unearned  good 
and  unmerited  protection  have  come  to  us, 
in  addition  to  all  that  for  which  we  have 
striven  and  that  against  which  we  have 
guarded.  As  we  look  out  over  the  threshold 
of  the  new  year,  we  pray  thee,  add  to  the 
common  necessities  of  our  daily  life  an  over- 
mastering desire  to  grow  in  moral  and  spir- 
itual worth.  Help  us  to  see  clearly  that  the 
physical  and  material,  without  the  moral 
and  spiritual,  is  death  and  destruction. 

Help  us  to  cultivate  in  our  own  natures 
those  virtues  which  we  think  are  lacking  in 
our  neighbors.  Help  us  to  rebuke  injustice, 
selfishness,  and  bigotry  by  living  the  just, 
the  generous,  and  the  open-minded  life.  Let 
us  not  be  content  unless  each  day  we  have 
added  some  worth  to  our  characters  by  some 
service  done  for  our  fellow  men.  Amen. 

[Pa«e   5] 


Jfctlumg  (Mf 


IGHTY  and  loving  Father,  in 
the  midst  of  these  days  of  love 
and  good  cheer  for  friends  and 
family,  grant  to  us  a  growing 
sense  of  the  worth  of  every  human  life. 
Let  us  not  forget  the  sufferings  and  sacri- 
fice of  motherhood,  the  cares  and  cost  of 
fatherhood,  the  protection  and  help  of  so- 
ciety, without  which  human  life  would  not 
endure.  Forgive  us  for  the  light  estimate 
which  we  have  put  on  the  father  and  mother 
of  somebody  else,  the  careless  regard  for  the 
other  man's  son  and  daughter,  the  wicked 
indifference  to  other  people's  little  ones. 
Give  us  the  grace  and  strength,  Almighty 
God,  to  do  collectively  for  the  unfavored 
and  unprivileged  members  of  the  human 
family  what  our  hearts  prompt  us  to  do  for 
our  own  flesh  and  blood  who  need  our  pro- 
tection and  help.  Amen. 


fPa«e   7] 


|F  we  acknowledge  a  universal 
fatherhood  or  work  for  a  uni- 
versal brotherhood,  save  us,  O 
|  God,  from  both  hypocrisy  and 
sentimentality  in  our  attitude  toward  the 
man  who  is  not  of  our  race.  May  we  treat 
him  as  a  brother,  acknowledging  his  rights, 
recognizing  his  differences,  and  having  re- 
gard to  the  welfare  of  the  whole  human 
family. 

Help  us  to  recognize  the  value  of  things 
that  divide  men  as  well  as  the  worth  of 
things  that  unite  men.  Let  not  selfishness, 
pride,  or  power  betray  us  into  unbrother- 
liness  toward  any  man.  Neither  let  us 
ignore  the  great  basic  fact  of  diversity  in 
unity  which  thou  hast  written  all  over  the 
universe.  Grant  to  us,  each  one,  that  grace 
of  heart  and  poise  of  mind  that  will  enable 
us  to  contribute  our  little  share  toward  a 
just  and  happy  solution  of  the  great  race 
problems  that  so  vex  the  world.  Amen. 

[Pa«e   9] 


ur 


give  thanks,  our  Father,  for 
I  these  meetings.  We  rejoice  in 
the  fellowships  they  have 
I  brought  to  us.  Our  hearts  have 
been  uplifted,  our  outlook  enlarged,  our 
enthusiasms  have  been  enkindled,  our  preju- 
dices softened.  We  revere  the  memory  of 
him  whose  loving  heart  made  all  this  pos- 
sible. We  acknowledge  our  debt  to  those 
who  minister  in  his  stead.  Do  thou  give 
them  grace  to  persevere.  Forgive  those 
who  do  not  understand  and  who  would 
hinder  if  they  could.  Make  us  valiant  and 
worthy  to  maintain  the  truth  entrusted  to 
our  keeping  and  save  us,  no  matter  how 
hard  pressed,  from  all  bitterness  of  spirit 
and  hateful  reprisals.  Amen. 


[Pane    1  II 


a  S  eart 


EACH  us  first,  our  Father,  how 
to  be  at  peace  with  ourselves. 
May  thy  Spirit  within  us  put 
away  all  our  unworthiness,  and 
make  us  lovers  of  all  that  is  true  and 
beautiful.  Teach  us  the  joy  of  serving  our 
fellow  men.  Help  us  to  look  upon  the 
things  of  others  rather  than  upon  our  own, 
and  to  learn  that  love,  to  all  those  who  exer- 
cise it,  is  the  greatest  constructive  force  that 
can  be  employed,  and  that  hatred  is  fiercely 
destructive  not  only  to  the  one  hated,  but 
also  to  the  one  hating. 

O  God,  grant  each  one  of  us  such  a 
genuinely  peaceful  soul  that  hatred  and 
murder  on  an  international  scale  will  appear 
to  us  only  more  hideous  than  personal  hatred 
and  personal  violence.  Amen. 


[Page    13] 


THOU  Creator  of  all  things  and 
of  all  life,  teach  us,  we  pray 
thee,  to  recognize  the  real  nature 
of  property  and  its  relation  to 
human  life.  As  property  would  have  no 
value  without  men,  forbid  that  we  should 
be  continually  mistaking  the  shadow  for 
the  substance.  Since  property  is  created 
and  made  available  by  the  labor  of  human 
beings,  help  us  to  strive  mightily  against 
that  materialism  which  makes  wealth  of 
more  account  than  men.  Save  the  creators 
of  wealth  from  being  dominated  by  what 
they  themselves  have  created ;  save  the  mas- 
ters from  idolatry  and  the  workers  from 
slavery.  Cleanse  our  souls  from  the  love 
of  getting  something  for  nothing.  Help  us 
to  abominate  misappropriation  under  every 
form  and  in  every  guise.  Amen.  (Great 
applause.) 

Chairman's  remarks:   It  is  perhaps  quite  un- 
usual for  a  prayer  to  be  applauded,  but  I  do  not 

[P.«e    151 


see  any  reason  why  we  should  not  express  our 
appreciation  of  a  prayer  in  that  way  as  well  as 
in  the  good  old  Methodist  fashion  by  saying, 
"  Amen."  We  do  not  have  to  follow  any  prece- 
dents here  at  Ford  Hall,  but  can  make  our  own 
precedents;  and,  if  that  is  your  way  of  express- 
ing your  interest  in  a  prayer,  you  are  perfectly 
welcome  to  use  it. 


[Page    16] 


HOU  great  Spirit  over  all, 
we  recognize  thy  lordship  in 
our  lives;  we  know  our  limita- 
tions; we  feel  our  insufficiency. 
We  look  to  thee  for  help.  Our  joyful  fel- 
lowship together  here  is  made  possible  be- 
cause thou  hast  taught  us  to  love  one  an- 
other, and  we  have  been  able  to  learn  a 
little  of  that  lesson.  Just  as  we  imperfectly 
understand  one  another,  so  do  we  still  less 
perfectly  understand  thee.  Grant  us,  we 
pray  thee,  an  enlargement  of  that  spiritual 
sense  which  prompts  us  to  love  our  fellows, 
and  which  draws  us  toward  thee.  Remove 
the  scales  that  blind  us,  whatever  they  may 
be,  and  let  the  sunshine  of  love,  mercy,  and 
peace  fill  all  our  lives.  Amen. 


17] 


UR  Father  in  heaven,  help  us  to 
realize  in  every  phase  of  life  the 
brotherly  and  sisterly  relation 
that  should  obtain  between  men 
and  women.  May  the  standards  of  the 
true  home  in  this  respect  become  our  stand- 
ards in  the  realms  of  industry  and  govern- 
ment. May  society  recognize  the  necessity 
of  giving  women  a  share  in  those  things  that 
determine  the  environment  of  the  home  and 
that  relate  to  its  efficient  maintenance.  Our 
hearts  go  out  in  thanksgiving  to  thee  for 
those  countless  millions  of  women  who 
through  the  generations  have  so  nobly  car- 
ried such  a  large  share  of  the  hitherto  all- 
embracing  home  life.  Save  us  from  a  fail- 
ure to  use  all  the  God-given  powers  of  heart 
and  mind  of  the  women  of  to-day  in  the 
solution  of  the  great  problems  that  press 
upon  us.  Amen. 


[Pa«e    19] 


S  children  of  thy  bounty,  thou 
Giver  of  all,  we  observe  every- 
where in  all  thy  works  an  over- 
flowing provision  for  the  needs 
of  man.  Forbid,  O  God,  that  we  who  ac- 
knowledge thy  fatherhood  and  our  common 
brotherhood  should  be  content  with  any 
scheme  of  life  whereby  the  workers,  and 
those  who  are  willing  to  work,  are  shut  out 
from  their  heritage  in  this  great  abundance 
of  good  things.  Help  us  to  put  our  heads 
together  and  to  keep  our  hearts  in  unison 
that  we  may  devise  means  whereby  all  in- 
dustrious men  and  women  may  have  their 
every  need  supplied,  and  an  abundance  may 
be  left  for  those  who  ought  not  to  toil. 
Amen. 


[Pa»e   21] 


aclftng  ffiut 


JHOU  great  Teacher  of  the  race 
1  of  men,  who  hast  brought  us  out 
of  the  darkness  of  past  ages  into 

the  marvelous  light  of  these 

latter  days,  accept  our  gratitude,  we  pray 
thee,  for  that  measure  of  release  from 
superstition  and  fear  which  is  our  portion 
to-day.  Make  us  realize  that,  though  the 
way  has  been  long  and  the  progress  great, 
there  is  as  much  for  us  yet  to  discern  and 
appropriate  and  pass  on  to  others  as  came 
to  our  fathers  before  us. 

Grant  unto  us  open  minds  and  discern- 
ing hearts,  and  make  us  quick  to  learn  a 
lesson  in  everything  and  from  everybody. 
Save  us  from  cramped  minds  and  shriveled 
souls.  Give  wings  to  our  thought  and  wide- 
ness  to  our  affections.  May  our  fellowship 
together  in  these  meetings  help  us  along  the 
pathway  of  light  and  love.  Amen. 


[P.«e  23] 


ffine  (frait  ^mmlg 


TERNAL  Father  of  the  human 
family,  make  us  more  conscious 
of  thy  loving  interest  in  us,  and 
of  thy  wise  oversight  of  all  our 
affairs.  May  we  feel  and  recognize  thy 
compelling  hand,  restraining  our  impetuous 
immaturity,  and  stimulating  our  flagging 
faith. 

Make  us  to  rejoice  more  and  more  in  our 
family  relationship  to  thee  and  to  each 
other.  Help  us  to  know  ourselves  not  only 
as  sons  and  daughters,  but  also  as  brothers 
and  sisters. 

Forgive,  we  pray  thee,  our  very  narrow 
limitation  of  the  brotherly  and  sisterly  rela- 
tionship. May  the  blessedness  of  the  true 
brotherly  and  sisterly  fellowship,  such  as 
we  have  experienced  in  our  own  homes,  ever 
be  our  hope  and  expectation  for  the  whole 
human  family  of  brothers  and  sisters.  And 
may  we  know  that  brothers  and  sisters, 
whether  of  the  limited  or  of  the  larger 

[Page   25] 


family,  are  equally  precious  in  thy  sight,  and 
that  thou  hast  so  bound  them  together  that 
no  wrong  can  be  done  to  the  one  without 
bringing  degradation  to  the  other,  and  that 
neither  can  be  surfeited  or  neglected  without 
danger  to  both. 

Open  thou  the  eyes  of  our  understanding, 
we  pray  thee,  and  help  us  to  see  thine  own 
truth  in  the  matter  of  the  relationship  be- 
tween man  and  woman.  Amen. 


(Page  26) 


JVdhitf folding  ©ur 

ILMIGHTY  God,  our  Father,  do 
thou  accept  such  acknowledg- 
ment, devotion,  and  worship  as 
we,  with  all  our  limitations,  are 
able  to  bring  to  thee.  Thou  knowest  that 
some  of  us,  with  the  utmost  willingness,  can- 
not apprehend  thee  at  all  according  to  ac- 
cepted standards.  Thou  knowest  that  some 
of  thy  most  devoted  children  do  most  fear- 
fully misapprehend  thee.  The  best  of  thy 
children  the  world  over  do  but  see  thee  as 
in  a  mirror  darkly. 

Therefore,  we  pray  that  thou  wilt  save  us 
all  from  any  pride  of  spiritual  aristocracy, 
and  help  us  to  help  each  other  toward  the 
light.  Save  us  from  contempt  and  bitterness 
toward  those  whose  eye  of  faith  is  not 
focused  like  ours,  and  save  those  of  us  who 
cannot  see  at  all  from  misjudging  those  who 
can  see. 

Thou  hast  compelled  no  man  to  acknowl- 
edge thee,  but  by  thy  good  providences  and 

[Pace   27] 


gracious  mercies  thou  art  drawing  all  men 
unto  thyself.  May  we,  thy  children,  go  and 
do  likewise ;  compelling  no  man,  by  sneer  or 
by  fear,  and  winning  all  men  by  love  and 
by  sincerity.  Amen. 


[Page   28] 


LMIGHTY  God,  our  Father,  we 
thank  thee  that  thou  hast  given 
us  work  to  do,  that  thou  hast  not 
given  us  a  finished  world  with 
nothing  left  in  it  to  be  done,  but  hast  made 
us  sharers  with  thyself  in  the  wonderful 
processes  of  creation.  Forgive  us  that,  in 
our  blindness  and  greed,  we  have  made  the 
conditions  of  work  so  hateful  and  debasing 
to  so  many  of  our  fellow  men.  Help  us  to 
understand  that  joyous  work  is  akin  to 
worship,  and  that  willing  idleness  is  an 
abomination.  May  we  know,  our  Father, 
that  thou  art  concerned  in  all  our  daily 
vocations,  and  that  we  cannot  do  unjustly 
with  one  another  on  a  week-day  and  bring 
thee  an  acceptable  offering  on  a  Sabbath. 

We  pray  that  there  may  be  among  all 
men  a  fuller  realization  of  the  dignity  and 
blessing  of  work,  a  quicker  readiness  to 
recognize  the  shame  of  wasteful  idleness, 
a  fiercer  hatred  against  those  conditions 

IPage   29] 


that  thrust  idleness  upon  willing  workers, 
and  a  more  profound  conviction  that  thou 
art  anxious  to  be  our  partner  in  every  rela- 
tion of  life.  Amen. 


[Page  30] 


LMIGHTY  God,  we  thank  thee 
for  the  presence  in  the  world  of 
men  of  other  races,  of  other 
tongues,  of  other  colors,  and  of 
other  faiths  than  our  own.  Help  us  to  ex- 
change and  share  with  all  of  them  the  best 
gifts  of  thy  bounty.  May  we  not  keep  back 
the  good  we  can  carry  to  them,  nor  shut  our 
doors  against  the  blessing  they  would  bring 
to  us.  We  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  put  it 
into  the  heart  of  man  to  give  his  life  un- 
selfishly and  unstintedly  in  helpful  service 
to  his  brother  man,  whether  he  live  across 
the  street  or  around  the  globe.  Forgive  us 
that  we  fall  short,  so  many  of  us,  and  so 
often.  Let  us  not  rest  until  every  man  at 
home  and  abroad  shares  with  us  the  best 
that  we  have.  Amen. 


[Page   31] 


earte 


GOD,  our  Father,  help  us  to 
know  ourselves  as  thou  knowest 
us.  Help  us  to  realize  that  most 
of  the  evil  that  blights  us  arises 
from  man's  inhumanity  to  man.  Forgive  us 
if  sometimes,  in  our  blind  rage,  we  seek  to 
put  the  blame  elsewhere  and  deny  thine 
everlasting  goodness.  While  we  cry  out 
for  succor  and  justice  for  the  oppressed,  O 
God,  take  out  of  our  own  hearts  the  mean- 
ness, the  arrogance,  the  hypocrisy,  the  un- 
fairness that  is  found  there  every  day. 
Power  makes  oppressors  of  us  all  without 
the  grace  of  love  in  our  hearts.  Thy  great- 
est gift  to  us  is  love  for  one  another. 

Give  us,  we  pray,  an  unspeakable  hatred 
against  everything,  within  or  without,  that 
would  tend  to  destroy  that  most  precious 
possession  of  our  souls.  Amen. 


[P««e    331 


©urffifet^fmtlt 


THOU  great  Maker  and  Mas- 
ter of  all  wealth  and  Creator 
and  Lover  of  all  mankind,  teach 
us,  we  pray  thee,  the  true  rela- 
tion between  man  and  wealth.  Thou  hast 
made  us  to  earn  our  living  by  the  sweat 
of  our  brow.  In  the  darkness  of  the  ages 
we  seem  to  have  lost  the  straight  and  nar- 
row path,  for  many  there  be  who  labor 
grievously  and  live  miserably,  while  others 
live  luxuriously  and  labor  not  at  all.  We 
confess  our  own  un worthiness  in  withhold- 
ing from  the  needy  that  superabundance 
which  has  been  so  freely  bestowed  upon 
us.  All  we  are  guilty,  having  come  short 
of  what  we  should  have  done.  O  God,  break 
the  hardness  of  our  hearts,  open  the  eyes 
of  our  understanding,  and  pour  forth  upon 
us  a  spirit  of  love  and  justice  for  our  fel- 
low men  that  shall  break  down  all  the  mid- 
dle walls  of  privilege  that  separate  us  from 
one  another.  Amen. 


[Pase   35] 


winter. 


GOD,  our  Father,  we  pour  out 
our  hearts  in  gratitude  for  the 
way  in  which  we  all  have  been 
led  in  this  series  of  meetings  this 
We  give  thanks  for  all  the  joy 
and  blessing  they  have  brought  to  us.  We 
acknowledge  our  indebtedness  to  the  men 
filled  with  the  spirit  of  service  whose  mes- 
sages have  enlarged  our  vision,  strengthened 
our  faith,  and  made  us  to  have  a  living 
sympathy  with  all  our  fellow  men  every- 
where who  are  heavily  burdened  and  nar- 
rowly limited. 

We  pray  thee  to  help  us  each  one  to  make 
the  utmost  of  ourselves  in  service  to  our 
fellow  men.  May  these  meetings  be  instru- 
mental in  making  us  all  bigger-hearted  and 
larger-minded  in  all  our  relations  in  life. 
Let  us  not  be  content  with  seeking  justice. 
May  we  also  hunger  to  be  just  in  word  and 
thought  and  act  toward  those  whom  we  meet 
every  day.  Give  us  more  power  to  per- 

[P««e   37] 


suade  others  to  the  truth  which  thou  hast 
given  us  to  see  and,  at  the  same  time,  make 
us  open-minded  toward  the  truth  that  has 
not  yet  gripped  our  hearts. 

Do  thou  continue  to  guide  and  guard  us 
in  the  work  we  are  trying  to  do  here. 
Rule  and  overrule  in  those  deliberations 
out  of  which  shall  come  the  decision  as  to 
the  continuance  of  this  work  another  win- 
ter. And  bless  the  men  of  the  Baptist  So- 
cial Union  who  have  made  this  platform 
possible.  Amen. 


[P.ge   38] 


IE  rejoice  in  the  high  privilege 
[which  is  ours  of  joining  together 
in  fellowship  with  thee,  the  God 

|  of  our  Fathers,  the  God  of  the 

Jew  and  of  the  Christian  alike.  Our  hearts 
are  made  to  burn  within  us  because  of  this 
unwonted  benefit.  It  is  our  earnest  sup- 
plication that  all  thy  children  everywhere 
may  be  drawn  closer  and  closer  together 
in  mutual  toleration,  respect,  and  affection, 
while  we  still  cling  faithfully,  each  one  of 
us,  to  the  vision  of  truth  which  is  our  very 
own. 

We  thank  thee  that  our  blessed  country 
has  been  made  an  asylum  of  the  oppressed 
and  the  dispossessed  from  many  lands.  We 
pray  with  all  the  passion  of  our  souls  that 
we  may  have  the  grace  and  the  patience,  the 
open-mindedness  and  the  faith,  the  courage 
and  the  strength,  to  realize  in  full  measure 
the  great  spiritual  possibilities  that  are  ours. 
Thou  hast  chosen  to  make  America  the 

[Page   39] 


great  crucible  into  which  is  being  poured 
the  brightest  hopes  and  the  deepest  desires 
of  the  youth  of  many  climes.  Help  us,  by 
the  alchemy  of  spiritual  forces,  to  bring 
forth  in  due  season  the  noblest  individual 
and  national  life  that  this  old  world  of  ours 
has  ever  seen.  Amen. 


(P.te    40] 


ITH  thankful  hearts,  we  ac- 
knowledge, O  God,  the  satisfac- 
tion given  by  the  drama,  the 
helpfulness  afforded  by  the 
stage,  and  the  ministering  service  rendered 
by  the  players  who  entertain,  inform,  and 
uplift  the  multitude.  We  have  received 
much  from  these  sources,  and  have  given 
little  in  return.  Grant  us,  we  pray,  a  seri- 
ous mind  and  a  sense  of  personal  respon- 
sibility in  our  attitude  toward  the  theater. 
May  we  shun  the  evil  in  it  and  support  the 
good.  Do  thou  uphold  every  playwright, 
manager,  and  player  who  is  striving  to  up- 
lift his  fellow  man,  and  give  them  the  back- 
ing of  all  men  and  women  who  love  right- 
eousness and  who  work  for  the  coming  of 
the  kingdom.  Amen. 


[Page    41] 


ELP  us  to  find  thee,  O  God,  in 
the  hearts  and  lives  of  the  men, 
women,  and  children  that  are  all 
about  us.  May  we  break  down 
every  barrier  that  hinders  us  from  really 
knowing  one  another.  Bring  us  together,  we 
pray  thee,  in  friendly  intimacies,  in  mutual 
enjoyments,  and  in  common  aspirations. 
Let  those  who  are  privileged  bring  gifts 
of  leisure  and  culture.  Let  the  distressed 
and  the  unsatisfied  bring  gifts  of  eagerness 
and  desire.  Let  the  powerful  lift  up  the 
weak,  and  the  light-hearted  bring  comfort 
to  the  overburdened.  Though  we  come 
from  the  ends  of  society,  and  are  separated 
by  injustice,  prejudice,  and  untoward  cir- 
cumstances, help  us,  O  God,  to  seek  out 
one  another  in  love  and  patience  and  to  rest 
not  until,  through  fellowship  and  friendli- 
ness, we  have  realized  a  large  measure  of 
the  relationship  of  brothers  and  sisters  of  a 
common  Father.  Amen. 


[P. 


43] 


JV  JftfUf  JVnmtesarg 


[LMIGHTY  God,  blessed  Father 
of  us  all,  we  rejoice  with  joy  un- 
speakable that  it  is  our  privilege 
to  come  to  thee  as  the  children  of 
one  household,  notwithstanding  our  fathers 
before  us  have  never  been  able  to  realize 
their  common  inheritance,  and  could  not  sit 
together  at  the  great  Father's  table  to  enjoy 
the  wonderful  feasts  in  spiritual  things 
which  he  has  provided  for  all  his  children. 

We  acknowledge  our  unworthiness,  our 
short-sightedness,  our  weakness,  but  we  love 
thee  and  all  thy  works — justice,  truth,  and 
mercy.  Even  when  we  lose  sight  of  thy 
face  and  cannot  hear  thy  voice  and  doubt 
if  thou  livest,  still  we  cling  to  thee  in  every- 
thing that  is  beautiful  and  sweet  and  strong. 

Our  hearts  are  overflowing  with  gratitude 
for  the  way  in  which  thou  hast  gathered  to- 
gether and  shepherded  this  peculiar  flock. 
Often  we  have  not  known  which  way  to 
turn,  and  frequently  we  have  feared  that 

[Page    45] 


we  would  be  scattered.  But  a  power  greater 
than  our  own  has  preserved  us,  guided  us, 
and  brought  us  safely  and  happily  to  this 
fifth  milestone  in  the  life  of  our  fellowship. 
We  give  thanks,  with  all  our  strength,  with 
all  our  minds,  with  all  our  hearts. 

Help  us  as  we  go  forward  enjoying  the 
great  boon  of  free  speech  on  all  subjects, 
in  the  presence  of  all  men,  to  realize  that  its 
price  is  an  eternal  vigilance  over  ourselves 
and  a  constant  recognition  of  the  rights  and 
feelings  of  others.  Through  this  wonderful 
privilege  of  looking  deeply  into  the  minds 
and  hearts  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  our 
fellow  men,  grant  to  us  a  continually  widen- 
ing vision  of  the  truth,  an  ever-increasing 
tenderness  of  sympathy,  a  constantly  broad- 
ening tolerance  of  understanding,  a  deepen- 
ing sense  of  brotherly  obligation,  and  an 
ever-growing  determination  to  see  justice 
done  in  this  world  here  and  now. 

We  commit  our  way  unto  thee.  We  pray 
for  strength  and  grace.  We  rejoice  in  what 
has  been  given  us.  We  go  forward  trust- 
fully, humbly,  expectantly.  Amen. 

(Page   46] 


Almighty,  we  beseech 
Ithee  to  loosen  the  scales  from 
our  eyes  that  we  may  see  the 
I  wickedness  of  our  inhumanity  to 
each  other.  Thou  hast  given  the  land  filled 
with  treasure  for  the  blessing  of  all  thy  chil- 
dren. We  have  so  misused  it  that  millions 
suffer  for  lack,  while  thousands  are  choked 
by  surplus.  Thou  hast  provided  plentifully 
for  all.  Help  us  to  renounce  the  system  by 
which  the  strong  and  the  favored  get  some- 
thing for  nothing  and  the  unfortunate  and 
the  lowly  fail  to  receive  the  full  reward  of 
their  toil.  Make  us  to  see,  we  pray,  that  the 
fault  lies  in  us,  every  one,  and  that  the  re- 
sponsibility for  mending  it  is  upon  us,  every 
one.  Give  us  the  grace  to  do  it  patiently  and 
fairly,  but  certainly.  Amen. 


[P.«e   47] 


E  acknowledge  with  grateful 
hearts  the  growing  determina- 
tion of  men  the  world  over 
to  find  a  better  way  to  live. 
We  rejoice  in  the  great  leaders  from  all 
ranks  of  society  who  have  been  raised  up  to 
blaze  the  way  toward  a  larger  truth  and  a 
sounder  righteousness.  Help  us,  O  God,  to 
yield  ourselves  to  this  new  spirit  of  the  age, 
which  will  not  believe  that  poverty  and  dis- 
ease and  crime  must  be  accepted  as  a  neces- 
sary part  of  our  every-day  life.  Help  us  to 
trust  thee  that  the  way  shall  be  found  to 
reduce  these  evils  to  a  negligible  minimum. 
Give  us,  we  pray,  open  minds  and  stout 
hearts  that  we  may  see  the  heavenly  vision 
and  commit  our  lives  to  it.  Make  us  all 
willing  to  sacrifice  present  and  personal 
comfort  for  the  future  welfare  of  the  whole 
race  of  man.  Amen. 


[Page    49] 


S  we  pass  the  sixth  anniversary 
of  our  coming  together,  our 
greatest  thankfulness  is  that  our 
union  with  one  another  abides 
in  the  midst  of  an  ever-deepening  affection 
and  a  continually  growing  harmony  of  mind. 
We  thank  thee,  O  God,  for  this  rich  experi- 
ence, and  for  the  testimony  it  brings  to  the 
principle  of  human  solidarity.  We  find  that 
the  man  who  has  been  hated  and  despised 
and  rejected  is  thy  child  and  our  brother. 
We  are  learning  that  the  most  favored  of 
thy  children  have  much  to  be  forgiven  in 
their  relations  to  the  other  members  of  the 
human  family.  Our  hearts  burn  within  us 
as  we  mingle  together  in  an  earnest  search 
for  truth,  justice,  and  happiness.  With 
overflowing  hearts,  we  give  thanks  that  our 
lot  has  been  cast  in  this  day  and  generation, 
in  this  city  and  country,  and  among  people 
so  generous  and  broad-minded.  Amen. 


[Page    51 ] 


LMIGHTY  God,  help  us  to 
understand  that  injustice  to  any 
one  or  to  any  class  or  race  must 
inevitably  return  upon  the  heads 
of  those  who  countenance  it.  Make  us  de- 
termined to  live  by  truth  and  not  by  lies,  to 
found  our  common  life  on  the  eternal  foun- 
dations of  righteousness  and  love,  and  no 
longer  to  prop  the  tottering  house  of  wrong 
by  legalized  cruelty  and  force.  Help  us 
make  the  welfare  of  all  the  supreme  law  of 
our  land,  so  that  our  commonwealth  may  be 
built  strong  and  secure  on  the  love  of  all 
its  citizens.  Amen. 


lPa«e    53] 


N  every  hand  we  see  nature  at 
work,  in  mountain  and  stream, 
in  bush  and  tree,  in  the  heavens 
and  under  the  waters.  And  this 
work  goes  on  without  cessation.  We  re- 
joice, O  God,  that  we,  thy  children,  have 
been  granted  the  capacity,  the  desire,  and 
the  occasion  to  work.  We  delight  in  the 
health,  happiness,  and  achievement  that 
come  through  work.  Help  us  to  see  that 
every  one  must  share  in  this  blessing.  Save 
us  from  ruining  the  children  of  privilege  by 
giving  them  an  overabundance  of  the  fruits 
of  toil  without  requiring  them  to  undergo 
its  discipline.  Save  us  from  robbing  some 
of  our  fellow  men  of  the  opportunity  to 
work  while  at  the  same  time  we  crush  other 
men  and  children  with  a  double  burden  of 
work.  Help  us,  we  pray,  to  see  to  it  that 
every  one  has  work  to  do  and  that  every 
one  gets  the  fruit  of  his  work.  Amen. 


55] 


HOU  great  and  mighty  Spirit 
who  rulest  the  universe  and 
holdest  us  with  loving  wisdom  in 
the  hollow  of  thy  hand,  we  know 
that  we  are  partakers  of  thy  nature,  even 
though  at  times  the  light  that  is  within  us 
may  seem  to  have  gone  out  and  we  grope 
in  the  midst  of  an  impenetrable  darkness. 
Every  challenge  of  justice,  all  our  search- 
ings  for  truth,  and  each  pleading  of  mercy, 
whether  met  or  unfulfilled  or  denied,  never- 
theless persuade  us  unmistakably  that  we  are 
something  more  than  dust,  something  more 
than  animal,  something  more  than  automa- 
tons or  slaves — we  are  children  of  the  In- 
finite, endowed  with  ability  to  think  and  feel 
and  Decide.  Amen. 


[Pa«e    57] 


(Emrmwttum 


N  the  might  of  this  great  con- 
sciousness of  kinship  with  the 
Infinite,  our  spirits  flood  forth  to 
meet  thy  Spirit,  and  in  this  sub- 
lime communion  we  find  a  satisfying  con- 
tentment while  the  great  mystery  of  life, 
ever  pressing  on  every  side,  at  every  mo- 
ment, keeps  us  humble  and  makes  us  teach- 
able, and  keeps  alive  our  hope  and  faith. 

With  all  our  strength  and  mind  and  heart, 
we  pray  that  this  channel  of  high  conscious- 
ness through  which  flows  the  divinity  that 
unites  us  with  thee  may  not  become  clogged 
by  selfishness,  complacency,  or  indifference, 
but  that  in  the  power  of  thy  Spirit  we  may 
go  forth  to  make  the  little  world  of  which 
we  are  the  center  the  best  little  world  that 
it  is  possible  for  it  to  be.  Amen. 


[Page    59] 


©ur  jifouggk 


E  do  not  pray  to  be  freed  from 
all  struggle.  We  ask  for  wis- 
dom, strength,  and  courage  that 
out  of  our  struggles  may  come 
development  and  progress.  May  we  be 
cheered  and  upheld  in  the  midst  of  conflict 
by  the  realization  that  all  that  we  most 
cherish  has  come  as  the  fruit  of  struggle. 
Help  us  to  accept  this  fact  as  the  way 
which  thou  hast  ordained  whereby  mankind 
moves  on  to  better  things. 

But  we  do  pray  with  all  our  hearts  for 
the  hastening  of  the  day  when  the  struggle 
with  our  fellow  men,  individually  and  in 
groups  and  divisions,  will  be  in  mutual  good 
will  and  for  the  welfare  of  all  concerned, 
bringing  in  its  train  joy  and  satisfaction  in- 
stead of  fear  and  discontent. 

We  pray,  O  God,  that  we  may  fight 
valiantly  and  endure  heroically  without 
malice  and  without  bitterness,  confident  that 
truth  and  justice  will  prevail.  Amen. 

[Page   61 ] 


people  of 


s 


ACIOUS  Father  of  us  all,  for- 
give the  cruel  injustice  of  the 
world  toward  the  Jew.  May  we 
of  this  day  and  generation,  in 
this  enlightened  country  of  civil  and  re- 
ligious liberty,  make  some  amends  for  the 
past  by  granting  to  our  Jewish  fellow  citi- 
zens a  generous  appreciation  and  a  hearty 
fellowship  in  the  work  of  making  this  nation 
a  blessing  to  the  people  of  the  whole  world. 
Help  us  to  recognize  that  the  mightiest  and 
most  beneficent  forces  of  our  present-day 
civilization  come  from  the  land  and  from 
the  children  of  Israel.  Help  us  who  are  fol- 
lowers of  the  gentle  and  lowly  Nazarene  to 
despise  everything  that  would  make  us  hate- 
ful and  cruel  or  unjust  in  our  attitude  to- 
ward the  people  of  his  race.  We  rejoice  in 
the  bond  of  divine  fellowship  which  is  grow- 
ing up  here  among  those  who  for  centuries 
have  been  kept  from  enjoying  spiritual  com- 
munion together.  Amen. 

[Pace  63] 


Sentiments  of  the  People 


IN  meetings  such  as  are  held  in  Boston, 
at  Ford  Hall,  Sunday  evenings,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  keep  as  far  away  as  possible  from 
religious  conventions.  In  order  that  even 
one  brief  and  simple  prayer  may  not  in 
anybody's  mind  become  a  mere  form  to 
which  we  are  obligated  in  any  way,  it  is 
occasionally  omitted  altogether.  At  other 
times  a  poem,  a  meditation,  or  an  expression 
of  sentiment  may  take  its  place.  Samples 
of  these  are  found  in  the  pages  following. 


[Page    67] 


JV  CHf  ristttras  $&&&%$£ 

HE  keenest  joys,  the  greatest 
satisfactions,  the  richest  treas- 
ures we  find  in  each  other.  Our 
mutual  intimacies  are  the  coin 
of  the  kingdom  of  life.  He  is  richest  who 
knows  best  the  most  people.  We  only 
know  each  other  when  we  share  the  best 
there  is  in  us.  Material  possessions  are 
worth  while  only  as  they  help  us  to  know 
people.  They  become  a  deadly  poison  when 
they  get  between  us  and  folks. 

In  addition  to  exchanging  friendliness 
one  day  in  the  year,  let  us  give  ourselves  to 
each  other  every  day  in  the  year.  That  is 
the  meaning  back  of  this  whole  Christmas 
business. 


[Page   69] 


©ur  part's  Olrg 


N  the  public  school  we  come  the 
nearest  to  our  ideals  of  democ- 
racy. There  all  our  children  re- 
ceive according  to  their  need  and 
capacity  and  without  regard  to  their  worth  or 
merit.  As  brothers  and  sisters  in  one  great 
family,  they  receive  from  the  community  as 
a  father  some  of  the  richest  gifts  that  money 
and  ability  and  devotion  can  bestow.  All 
that  is  asked  of  them  is  that  they  make  the 
most  of  it,  and  recognize  the  source  from 
which  it  comes  and  pay  for  it  in  the  coin 
of  good  citizenship. 

Our  cry  as  a  people,  unto  the  God  of  our 
fathers,  is  that  the  day  may  be  hastened 
when  in  the  interest  of  the  state  all  its  cit- 
izens of  all  ages  and  both  sexes  may  be 
given  an  equal  opportunity  to  earn  a  living 
and  make  a  life  just  as  we  now  give  the 
children  an  equal  opportunity  to  get  an  edu- 
cation and  develop  their  powers.  May  we 
so  jealously  guard  and  intelligently  pro- 

[Pa8e    71] 


mote  the  welfare  of  our  public  schools  that 
they  will  be  able  to  give  us  the  boys  and 
girls  who  will  later  be  the  men  and  women 
who  will  help  to  usher  in  the  days  of  greater 
democracy,  toward  which  we  are  all  looking 
and  yearning. 


72] 


Cans*  anh  Affect 

(By  Arthur  Guiterman,  in  Life.) 

The  powder  lay  in  heaps — a  threat 
Of  death — where  powder  should  not  lie ; 

Some  fool  threw  down  a  cigarette — 
And  flaming  ruin  rent  the  sky. 

Whereat,  a  solemn  jury  met 
And  laid  the  blame,  in  wisdom  rare, 

On  him  that  threw  the  cigarette, 
Not  them  that  left  the  powder  there. 

Upon  the  heaps  of  Want  and  Shame, 
Whereon  men  build,  one  evil  day 

Some  fool  will  fling  a  word  of  flame — 
And  what  will  follow,  who  shall  say? 

But  should  all  earth  be  overset, 
We'll  lay  the  blame,  in  dull  despair, 

On  him  that  threw  the  cigarette, 
Not  them  that  put  the  powder  there. 

By  permission  of  the  author. 


[Page    73] 


jLttfb  dtrl  mtfc  % 

(By  Burges  Johnson.) 

Said  the  little  girl  to  a  pussy-cat: 

"It's  jolly  to  make  you  play! 
How  soft  you  purr  when  I  stroke  your  fur, 

And  your  claws  are  all  tucked  away! 
I  love  you  ever  so  much  for  that," 
Said  a  little  girl  to  a  pussy-cat. 

"  But  oh,  there's  a  terrible  thing  I've  heard 
That  brings  great  sorrow  to  me ; 

You  killed  a  poor  little  baby  bird 
That  lived  in  our  apple  tree. 

You  can't  be  dear  to  me  after  that," 

Said  a  little  girl  to  a  pussy-cat. 

"  O  little  maid,"  said  the  pussy-cat, 
"  You  are  gentle  and  kind,  they  say, 

To  bird  and  beast,  but  didn't  YOU  feast 
On  chicken  for  lunch  to-day? 

And  aren't  there  feathers  upon  your  hat, 

O  little  maid?"  said  the  pussy-cat. 

"  Oh,  I'll  be  I,  and  you'll  be  you, 
As  long  as  this  world  shall  be. 

If  you'll  be  as  good  as  you  can  for  you, 
I'll  try  to  be  good  for  me. 

So  let's  be  friends,  and  agree  to  that, 

O  little  maid ! "  said  the  pussy-cat. 

By  permission  of  the  author,  from  "  Rhymes  of  Home," 
published  by  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons. 

[P««e   751 


Songs  of  the  People 


®  dob  of  f  artt\  anb 

(To  the  music  of  "  Webb.") 

O  God  of  earth  and  altar, 

Bow  down  and  hear  our  cry, 
Our  earthly  rulers  falter, 

Our  people  drift  and  die; 
The  walls  of  gold  entomb  us, 

The  swords  of  scorn  divide, 
Take  not  thy  thunder  from  us, 

But  take  away  our  pride. 

From  all  that  terror  teaches, 

From  lies  of  tongue  and  pen, 
From  all  the  easy  speeches 

That  comfort  cruel  men, 
From  sale  and  profanation 

Of  honor  and  the  sword, 
From  sleep  and   from  damnation, 

Deliver  us,  good  Lord. 

Tie  in  a  living  tether 

The  priest  and  prince  and  thrall, 
Bind  all  our  lives  together, 

Smite  us  and  save  us  all; 
In  ire  and  exultation 

Aflame  with  faith,  and  free, 
Lift  up  a  living  nation, 

A  single  sword  to  thee. 

— G.   K.   Chesterton. 

[Page   79] 


Onward,  brothers,  march  still  onward, 

Side  by  side  and  hand  in  hand; 
We  are  bound  for  man's  true  kingdom, 

We  are  an  increasing  band. 
Tho'  the  way  seems  often  doubtful, 

Hard  the  toil  which  we  endure, 
Tho'  at  times  our  courage  falters, 

Yet  the  promised  land  is  sure. 

Olden  sages  saw  it  dimly, 

And  their  joy  to  madness  wrought; 
Living  men  have  gazed  upon  it, 

Standing  on  the  hills  of  thought. 
All  the  past  has  done  and  suffered, 

All  the  daring  and  the  strife, 
All  has  help'd  to  mold  the  future, 

Make  man  master  of  his  life. 

Still  brave  deeds  and  kind  are  needed, 

Noble  tho'ts  and  feelings  fair; 
Ye  too  must  be  strong  and  suffer, 

Ye  too  have  to  do  and  dare. 
Onward,  brothers,  march  still  onward, 

March  still   onward  hand   in  hand; 
Till  ye  see  at  last  Man's  kingdom, 

Till  ye  reach  the  promised  land. 

— H.  Havelock  Ellis. 

By  permission  of  the  author. 
[Page   80] 


Oio&mttimrf  to  ^t 

(To  the  tune  of  "Austria.") 

Thro'  the  clamor  and  the  riot 

That  is  heard  from  sea  to  sea, 
I  can  feel  the  coming  quiet 

Of  the  government  to  be. 
Vain  the  effort  to  dissemble 

For  the  truth  is  clear  to  all, 
And  the  old  conditions  tremble 

Like  a  ruin  doomed  to  fall. 

Vain  the  veiling  and  disguising 

Of  the  evils  which  exist, 
For  new  systems  are  uprising 

From  the  wreckage  and  the  mist; 
And  the  mills  of  God  are  slowly 

Surely  grinding  out  their  grist, 
While  the  laws  of  right  and  justice 

Hold  and  evermore  persist. 

As  the  sun  first  tints  the  border 

Of  the  darkness  with  his  light, 
So  the  faint  far  gleam  of  order 

Gilds  the  chaos  of  the  night; 
And  the  dawn  shall  grow  in  splendor 

To  the  fulness  of  the  day 
When  the  hands  of  greed  surrender 

What  from  toil  they  tore  away. 

(Page   81] 


For  the  land  to  all  was  given — 

It  belongs  to  you  and  me ; 
"Pis  a  law  of  earth  and  heaven 

Broken  now  from  sea  to  sea. 
Let  monopoly  be  driven 

From  the  fortress  of  the  free; 
And  let  liberty  bid  welcome 

To  the  government  to  be. 

— Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox. 

Reprinted  by  special  permission  of  the  publishers,  W.  B. 
bnkey     Company,     copyright,     191 
Power,"  by  Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox. 


O  brother  man,  fold  to  thy  heart  thy  brother! 

Where  pity  dwells,  the  soul  of  good  is  there ; 
To  worship  rightly  is  to  love  each  other, 

Each  smile  a  hymn,  each  kindly  deed  a  pray'r. 

Follow  with  rev'rent  steps  the  great  example 
Of  all  whose  holy  work  was  doing  good; 

So  shall  the  wide  earth  seem  a  human  temple, 
Each  loving  life  a  psalm  of  gratitude. 

Then  shall  all  shackles  fall;  the  stormy  clangor 
Of  wild  war-music  o'er  the  earth  shall  cease; 

Love  shall  tread  out  the  baleful  fire  of  anger, 
And  in  its  ashes  plant  the  tree  of  peace. 

— Whittier. 

By  permission  of  Samuel  T.  Pickard. 
(P.te   82] 


,  tty 


O  beautiful  for  spacious  skies, 

For  amber  waves  of  grain, 
For  purple  mountain  majesties 

Above  the  fruited  plain! 
America  !  America  ! 

God  shed  his  grace  on  thee, 
And  crown  thy  good  with  brotherhood 

From  sea  to  shining  sea! 

O  beautiful  for  pilgrim  feet, 

Whose  stern,  impassioned  stress, 
A  thoroughfare  for  freedom  beat 

Across  the  wilderness! 
America!  America! 

God  mend  thine  ev'ry  flaw, 
Confirm  thy  soul  in  self-control, 

Thy  liberty  in  law! 

O  beautiful  for  heroes  proved 

In  liberating  strife, 
Who  more  than  self  their  country  loved, 

And  mercy  more  than  life! 
America!  America! 

May  God  thy  gold  refine, 
Till  all  success  be  nobleness, 

And  ev'ry  gain  divine  ! 

O  beautiful  for  patriot  dream 
That  sees  beyond  the  years 

[Page    83] 


Thine  alabaster  cities  gleam 

Undimmed  by  human  tears ! 
America !  America ! 

God  shed  his  grace  on  thee, 
And  crown  thy  good  with  brotherhood 

From  sea  to  shining  sea! 

— Katharine  Lee  Bates. 

By  permission  of  the  author. 


t  dtorimis  (iolten  Cttg ! 

Music:  Sanctuary — J.  B.  Dykes,  1871 

Hail  the  glorious  Golden  City, 

Pictured  by  the  seers  of  old! 
Everlasting  light  shines  o'er  it, 

Wondrous  tales  of  it  are  told : 
Only  righteous  men  and  women 

Dwell  within  its  gleaming  wall; 
Wrong  is  banished  from  its  borders, 

Justice  reigns  supreme  o'er  all. 

We  are  builders  of  that  city; 

All  our  joys  and  all  our  groans 
Help  to  rear  its  shining  ramparts; 

All  our  lives  are  building-stones ; 
Whether  humble  or  exalted, 

All  are  called  to  task  divine ; 
All  must  aid  alike  to  carry 

Forward  one  sublime  design. 

[Page  84) 


And  the  work  that  we  have  builded, 

Oft  with  bleeding  hands  and  tears, 
And  in  error  and  in  anguish, 

Will  not  perish  with  our  years; 
It  will  last  and  shine  transfigured 

In  the  final  reign  of  Right, 
It  will  merge  into  the  splendors 

Of  the  City  of  the  Light. 

—Felix  Adler,  1909. 

Copyright,  1914,  from  "  Social  Hymns." 
The  A.   S.   Barnes  Company,  publishers. 


«d!arclj  of  gtt&om 

(To  the  music  of  "  Marseillaise.") 

Hark,  hark,  the  peal  of  clarions  calling, 

A  host  unnumbered  marching  by, 
O'er  serried  ranks  the  pennons  falling! 
||  The  hills  give  back  the  battle-cry.  || 

Whence  come  ye,  hero  warriors,  hither? 

What  land,  what  ages,  gave  ye  birth? 

What  crave  ye  still  of  bleeding  earth? 
What  laurel-wreaths  that  shall  not  wither  ? 

To  arms  the  clarions  call, 

To  deeds  the  doing  worth ; 
March  on,  march  on,  till  freedom  dawn, 

And  justice  rule  the  earth! 

[Pace  851 


Glory  to  God,  the  day  is  breaking, 

The  long-awaited  golden  morn ! 
The  heroes  dead  who,  self-forsaking, 
||  Gave  all  to  hasten  freedom's  dawn.  || 

As  brothers,  comrades,  march  beside  us; 

On,  then,  to  conquest  of  the  world! 

On,  till  our  battle  flags  are  furled 
In  freedom's  peace,  and  God  shall  guide  us. 

Ye  mountains,  clap  your  hands ! 

Exult,  O  sky  and  sea! 
March  on,  march  on !  breaks  over  all  lands 

The  dawn  of  liberty ! 

— Charles  Sprague  Smith. 

Reprinted  by  permission  of  Mrs.  I.  D.  Sprague  Smith. 


mrw 

"  Thy  kingdom  come !  "  O  Lord  we  daily  cry, 
Weary  and   sad   with  earth's  long  strife  and 

pain! 

"  How  long,  O  Lord !  "  thy  suff' ring  children  sigh ! 
"  Speed  thou  the  dawn,  and  o'er  the  nations 
reign ! " 

Thy  kingdom  come !  then  all  the  din  of  war, 
Like  some  dark  dream,  shall  vanish  with  the 
night ! 

Peace,  holy  peace,  her  myriad  gifts  shall  pour, 
Resting  secure  from  danger  and  affright. 

[Page   86] 


Thy   kingdom    come !    no    more    shall    deeds    of 
shame, 

Brutish  and  base,  destroy  the  soul  divine; 
Bright  with  thy  love's  all-purifying  flame 

Thy  human  temples  evermore  shall  shine ! 

Thy  kingdom  come !  mad  greed  for  wealth  and 

power 

No  more  shall  grind  the  weaklings  in  the  dust. 
Then  mind  and  strength  shall  share  thy  ample 

dower, 
Brothers  in  thee,  and  one  in  equal  trust. 

— H.   W.  Hawkes. 

Copyright,  1914,  from  "  Social  Hymns." 
The  A.  S.  Barnes  Company,  publishers. 


Hear,  hear,  O  ye  nations,  and  hearing  obey 
The  cry  from  the  past  and  the  call  of  to-day ! 
Earth  wearies  and  wastes  with  her  fresh  life  out- 
poured, 
The  glut  of  the  cannon,  the  spoil  of  the  sword. 

Lo,  dawns  a  new  era,  transcending  the  old, 
The  poet's  rapt  vision,  by  prophet  foretold! 
From  war's  grim  tradition  it  maketh  appeal 
To  service  of  all  in  a  world's  commonweal. 

[Page   87] 


Home,  altar,  and  school,  the  mill  and  the  mart, 
The  workers  afield,  in  science,  in  art, 
Peace-circled  and  sheltered,  shall  join  to  create 
The  manifold  life  of  the  firm-builded  state. 

Then,  then  shall  the  empire  of  right  over  wrong 
Be  shield  to  the  weak  and  a  curb  to  the  strong ; 
Then  justice  prevail  and,  the  battle-flags  furled, 
The  high  court  of  nations  give  law  to  the  world. 

And  thou,  O  my  country,  from  many  made  one, 
Last-born  of  the  nations,  at  morning  thy  sun, 
Arise  to  the  place  thou  art  given  to  fill, 
And  lead  the  world-triumph  of  peace  and  good 
will! 

— Frederick  L.  Hosmcr. 

By  permission  of  the  author. 


flfyutgg 


These  things  shall  be!  a  loftier  race 
Than  e'er  the  world  hath  known,  shall  rise  ; 

With  flow'r  of  freedom  in  their  souls, 
And  light  of  science  in  their  eyes. 

They  shall  be  gentle,  brave,  and  strong, 
To  spill  no  drop  of  blood,  but  dare 

All  that  may  plant  man's  lordship  firm, 
On  earth,  and  fire,  and  sea,  and  air. 

(Page   68] 


Nation  with  nation,  land  with  land, 
Unarm'd  shall  live  as  comrades  free; 

In  ev'ry  heart  and  brain  shall  throb 
The  pulse  of  one  fraternity. 

New  arts  shall  bloom  of  loftier  mold 
And  mightier  music  thrill  the  skies, 

And  ev'ry  life  shall  be  a  song, 
When  all  the  earth  is  paradise. 

These  things — they  are  no  dreams — shall  be 
For  happier  men  when  we  are  gone : 

Those  golden  days  for  them  shall  dawn, 
Transcending  aught  we  gaze  upon. 

— John  Addington  Symonds. 

Copyright,  1914,  from  "  Social  Hymns." 
The  A.  S.  Barnes  Company,  publishers. 


for  ti\t  ffinxx  15  Cmmttg ! 

O  hark,  for  the  hour  is  coming, 

When  your  ears  shall  anointed  be ! 

Aye,  listen,  'tis  rising  and  swelling, 

O'er  populous  land  and  sea ! 

The  morning  stars  began  it 

At  the  dawn  of  creation's  birth, 

And  the  circling  spheres  go  swinging 

And  singing  it  unto  earth. 

[Pace  89] 


And  earth  shall  forget  her  groaning 
And  learn  the  song  of  the  spheres, 
And  the  tired  shall  sing  that  are  moaning 
And  the  sad  shall  dry  their  tears. 

For  the  song  of  the  spheres  is  motion, 

And  motion  and  toil  are  life, 

And  the  idle  shall  fail  and  falter, 

And  yield  at  the  end  of  strife. 

As  the  stars  tread  forth  appointed, 

And  the  sun  gives  forth  his  heat, 

So  the  sons  of  men  shall  labor 

Ere  they  rest  in  honor's  seat. 

And  kings  are  to  serve  the  people, 

And  wealth  is  to  ease  the  poor, 

And  learning  to  lift  up  the  lowly 

And  strength  that  the  weak  may  endure. 

Lo,  the  burden  shall  be  divided, 
And  each  shall  know  his  own, 
And  the  royalty  of  manhood 
Shall  be  more*  than  crown  or  throne. 
And  the  flesh  and  blood  of  toilers 
Shall  no  longer  be  less  than  gold, 
And  never  an  honest  life  shall  be 
Into  hopeless  bondage  sold. 
For  we,  the  people,  are  waking, 
And  high  and  low  shall  employ 
The  splendid  strength  of  union 
For  liberty,  life,  and  joy. 

— Author  unknown. 

[Page   90] 


(M  <&rtsg  mtb 

(Copyright,  1913,  by  the  Survey  Associates.) 

Now  let  us  all  arise  and  sing 
The  coming  kingdom  of  our  King, 
The  time  when  all  shall  brothers  be, 
Each  loving  each,  all  loving  thee. 
Oh,  when  shall  dawn  the  glorious  day 
For  which  we  hope  and  work  and  pray? 

How  long,  O  Lord  —  O  Lord,  how  long 
Shall  these  thy  weak  ones  suffer  wrong? 
Dear  Father,  use  what  means  thou  wilt 
To  cleanse  our  lives  from  greed  and  guilt; 
Help  us  to  put  away  our  sin 
And   learn   to   bring   thy  kingdom   in. 

—  Emily   Green  Batch,   1913. 
By  permission  of  the  Survey  Associates. 


Oiob  ^a6c  tfye 


When  wilt  thou  save  the  people? 

O  God  of  mercy,  when? 
Not  kings  and  lords,  but  nations, 

Not  thrones  and  crowns,  but  men. 
Flow'rs  of  thy  heart,  O  God,  are  they, 
Let  them  not  pass  like  weeds  away, 
Let  them  not  fade  in  sunless  day. 
God  save  the  people. 

[Page   911' 


Shall  crime  bring  crime  forever, 
Strength  aiding  still  the  wrong? 

Is  it  thy  will,  O  Father, 
That  men  shall  toil  for  wrong? 

"  No  I "  say  the  mountains ;  "  No !  "  the  skies ; 

"  Man's  clouded  sun  shall  brightly  rise, 

And  songs  be  heard  instead  of  sighs." 
God  save  the  people. 

When  wilt  thou  save  the  people? 

O  God  of  mercy,  when? 
The  people,  Lord,  the  people, 

Not  thrones  and  crowns,  but  men. 
God  save  the  people,  thine  they  are; 
Thy  children,  as  thy  angels  fair, 
Save  them  from  bondage  and  despair. 
God  save  the  people. 

— Ebenezer  Elliott. 

Copyright,   1914,  from  "  Social  Hymns." 
The  A.   S.   Barnes  Company,  publishers. 


My  country!  'tis  of  thee, 
Sweet  land  of  liberty, 

Of  thee  I  sing: 
Land  where  my  fathers  died! 
Land  of  the  Pilgrims'  pride ! 
From  every  mountainside 

Let  freedom  ring! 

[Pate  92] 


My  native  country,  thee, 
Land  of  the  noble  free, 

Thy  name  I  love; 
I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 
Thy  woods  and  templed  hills; 
My  heart  with  rapture  thrills, 

Like  that  above. 

Let  music  swell  the  breeze, 
And  ring  from  all  the  trees 

Sweet  freedom's  song: 
Let  mortal  tongues  awake; 
Let  all  that  breathe  partake; 
Let  rocks  their  silence  break, 

The  sound  prolong. 

Our  fathers'  God,  to  thee, 
Author  of  liberty, 

To  thee  we  sing; 
Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  light; 
Protect  us  by  thy  might, 

Great  God,  our  King. 

—5.  F.  Smith. 


[Pa«e   931 


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